DORA begins in Milan

MILAN — Beat the summer heat with a beverage and enjoy Milan's village square. Saturday afternoon marks the beginning of the village's new Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA). DORA is a designated area that allows patrons of participating licensed restaurants, bars and entertainment venues to carry up to 16 ounces of an open alcoholic beverage in a designated cup outside the establishments. Milan's DORA will go into effect for the first time at noon on Saturday. The DORA's operating hours are from 4 p.m. to midnight Mondays through Fridays and from noon to midnight on Saturdays and Sundays. During the Milan Melon Festival, DORA will not operate. Milan's DORA encompasses the village square. The DORA "goes from N. Main Street to Front Street on the Square to Park Street on the Square to Church Street," village administrator Brian Rospert said. "Basically our village square and to the front of the businesses in the east, west and north side of the square." People can't walk down the streets holding beer bottles, however, alcoholic beverages have to be in designated DORA cups. The cups are for one-time use, can not be refilled and have to be disposed of before entering a new bar. Signs are installed showing the boundaries of the DORA and warn partons when they will be leaving the permitted area. Milan police Chief Bob Meister said there are five permit holders: the American Legion, the Wonder Bar, Parks Square Tavern, the Milan Wine Post and Jim's Pizza Box. "A few years ago, we experimented with allowing businesses to operate an outdoor area on their sidewalks where patrons could be outside and have beverages as long as the sidewalk area was fenced in," Meister said. "We've had zero problems with that and everyone's been great about explaining the rules to visitors." Meister said he spoke with officials in Sandusky and Norwalk about their DORAs and was encouraged. "We're really confident with branching out into DORA," he said. "They're doing fantastic business with it. It draws more people into the area and that's what we want, to grow along with everyone else." Meister said the boundaries of the DORA are smaller than some, due to the village's size and to ensure it can be enforced. "My wife and I are planning to walk the park this Saturday with drinks," Meister said. "It's a chance to enjoy some of Milan's beauty."